Graduate Study. The Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Group offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Hydrologic Sciences integrates numerous and diverse fields of sciences to deepen the understanding of the physical and biogeochemical dynamics of water and water resources below, on, and above the land surface. It considers the interactions between water, the natural environment, agriculture, urban areas, ecosystems, climate, and societal systems. And it investigates water management, regulations, water law, and societal conflicts around water. Students have the ability to take advantage of the breadth of earth, environmental, agricultural, and social sciences and engineering resources on campus that are related to water in the natural and built environment. Students deepen their understanding, advance their critical thinking and analysis skills, and gain in-depth knowledge of innovative, leading hydrologic science tools and techniques to employ for problem solving.

Specialization. To accommodate the diversity of preparation and interests among students, the program offers five specializations from which the student selects one for their M.S.: physical hydrology, water policy and management, hydrochemistry, hydrobiology, and earth surface processes. Two options – a thesis option (Plan I) and a comprehensive exam option (Plan II) – are available for obtaining the Master of Science.

Preparation. Applicants to the program are expected to have completed or to be completing an undergraduate degree in environmental, physical, chemical, or biological sciences, mathematics, engineering, or related degrees. Undergraduate study must include one year of calculus and one course each in probability/statistics, computer programming, physical geology, and introductory hydrology. Additional undergraduate preparation, expected to be completed before entering the program, depend on the choice of specialization:physical hydrology and earth surface processes require one course each in linear algebra, differential equations, and fluid mechanics, one year of general physics, and two courses of general chemistry. Water policy and management requires one course each in microeconomics and in public policy. Hydrochemistry requires one year each in general biology and general chemistry, and one course in aqueous chemistry. Hydrobiology requires one year each in general biology and general chemistry, and one course in introductory ecology.

Graduate Study. The Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Group offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Hydrologic Sciences integrates numerous and diverse fields of sciences to deepen the understanding of the physical and biogeochemical dynamics of water and water resources below, on, and above the land surface. It considers the interactions between water, the natural environment, agriculture, urban areas, ecosystems, climate, and societal systems. And it investigates water management, regulations, water law, and societal conflicts around water. Students have the ability to take advantage of the breadth of earth, environmental, agricultural, and social sciences and engineering resources on campus that are related to water in the natural and built environment. Students deepen their understanding, advance their critical thinking and analysis skills, and gain in-depth knowledge of innovative, leading hydrologic science tools and techniques to employ for problem solving.

Specialization. To accommodate the diversity of preparation and interests among students, the program offers five specializations, from which students select one for their Ph.D.: physical hydrology, water policy and management, hydrochemistry, hydrobiology, and earth surface processes.

Preparation. Applicants to the program are expected to have completed or to be completing an undergraduate degree in environmental, physical, chemical, or biological sciences, mathematics, engineering, or related degrees. Undergraduate study must include one year of calculus and one course each in probability/statistics, computer programming, physical geology, and introductory hydrology. Additional undergraduate preparation, expected to be completed before entering the program, depend on the choice of specialization:physical hydrology and earth surface processes require one course each in linear algebra, differential equations, and fluid mechanics, one year of general physics, and two courses of general chemistry. Water policy and management requires one course each in microeconomics and in public policy. Hydrochemistry requires one year each in general biology and general chemistry, and one course in aqueous chemistry. Hydrobiology requires one year each in general biology and general chemistry, and one course in introductory ecology.

Lecture—2 hour(s); Discussion—1 hour(s).Water resources issues. How water has been used to gain and wield socio-political power. Water resources development in California as related to current and future sustainability of water quantity and quality. Roles of science and policy in solving water problems.(Same course as SAS 010.)(Letter.)GE credit: SE, SL, SS.Effective: 2005 Spring Quarter.

HYD092—Hydrologic Science Internship(1-12)Active

Internship—3-36 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):Consent of Instructor. Lower division student.Work experience off and on campus in Hydrologic Science. Internship supervised by a member of the faculty.(P/NP grading only.)Effective: 1997 Winter Quarter.

Lecture—2 hour(s); Laboratory—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):PHY 007A; SSC 100 recommended.General course for agricultural and engineering students dealing with soil and plant aspects of irrigation and drainage. Soil-water principles including water movement, plant responses to irrigation regimes, water use by crops; also irrigation systems and water quality.Not open for credit to students who have completed WSC 110.(Letter.)GE credit: SE, SL.Effective: 2009 Fall Quarter.

HYD124—Plant-Water-Soil Relationships(4)Review all entriesHistorical

Lecture—3 hour(s); Discussion—1 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):One upper division course in soil science, such as SSC 100; and one upper division course in plant science or plant biology, such as PLB 111; or consent of instructor.Principles of plant interactions with soil and atmospheric water environments and practical applications to crop management (e.g., irrigation) and plant eco-physiology (e.g., drought). Not open for credit to students who have completed Water Science 104.(Letter.)GE credit: QL, SE, SL.Effective: 2008 Spring Quarter.

HYD124—Plant-Water-Soil Relationships(4)Review all entriesActive

Lecture—3 hour(s); Discussion—1 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):(SSC 100 (can be concurrent) or SSC 107 (can be concurrent)); (PLS 100A (can be concurrent) or PLB 111 (can be concurrent)); or Consent of Instructor.Principles of plant interactions with soil and atmospheric water environments and practical applications to crop management (e.g., irrigation) and plant eco-physiology (e.g., drought). Not open for credit to students who have completed WSC 104.(Letter.)GE credit: QL, SE, SL.Effective: 2018 Fall Quarter.

Lecture—3 hour(s); Discussion—1 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):HYD 141 or ECI 142.General course considering hydrologic processes from a systems or statistical model perspective. General probability concepts are applied to frequency, time series and spatial data analysis. Linear systems are also considered in conjunction with Kalman filter techniques.(Letter.)GE credit: OL, QL, SE.Effective: 1998 Winter Quarter.

HYD143—Ecohydrology(4)Active

Lecture/Discussion—3 hour(s); Extensive Problem Solving.Prerequisite(s):HYD 010 or HYD 141 or ESP 001 or ESM 100 or ESM 108 or ESM 120 or GEL 001 or GEL 050 or SSC 100; or Consent of Instructor.Movement and storage of water in individual ecosystems and the integrated functioning of water and biota at the watershed scale.(Letter.)GE credit: OL, QL, SE, SL.Effective: 2017 Winter Quarter.

Lecture—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):Consent of instructor or upper division standing.Principles and issues of California Water Law.Types of water rights, groundwater rights and management, and protection of instream uses.Water projects, role of federal government and federal/state relations. Basic water quality acts, endangered species act, water transfers and current water issues.(Letter.)GE credit: ACGH, SS.Effective: 2016 Fall Quarter.

Internship—3-40 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):Consent of Instructor. Completion of 84 units.Work experience off and on campus in water science. Internship supervised by a member of the faculty.(P/NP grading only.)Effective: 1997 Winter Quarter.

Seminar—1 hour(s); Term Paper.Prerequisite(s):Open to students in the Hydrologic Sciences program.Seminar course exposes students to the diversity of sciences involved in the program. Students prepare a paper and presentation in their area of research interest. May be repeated twice for credit.May be repeated up to 2 Time(s).(S/U grading only.)Effective: 1997 Winter Quarter.

HYD201A—Hydrologic Sciences Core Survey(3)Active

Lecture/Discussion—2 hour(s); Project (Term Project).Considers the primary sub-disciplines while reviewing the fundamental scientific concepts/processes of the hydrologic sciences research community, and includes a basic writing component. (Letter.)Effective: 2017 Fall Quarter.

HYD201B—Hydrologic Sciences Core Seminar(1)Active

Seminar—2 hour(s).Exposes students to the research underway in the Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Group as well as provide them the opportunity to present and refine their research through interaction with other students in the Graduate Group.(P/NP grading only.)Effective: 2018 Winter Quarter.

Lecture—1.5 hour(s); Laboratory—3 hour(s); Discussion—0.5 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):SSC 107; or Consent of Instructor.Principles and modeling of water flow and chemical transport in the vadose zone, with specific applications to soils. Topics include hydraulic properties, finite difference application to unsaturated water flow, parameter optimization, diffusive and convective transport in gaseous and liquid phases.(Letter.)Effective: 2015 Spring Quarter.

HYD243—Water Resource Planning and Management(3)Active

Lecture—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):HYD 141 or ECI 142.Applications of deterministic and stochastic mathematical programming
techniques to water resource planning, analysis, design and management. Water allocation, capacity expansion, and reservoir operation. Conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater. Water quality management. Irrigation planning and operation models.(Same course as EBS 243.)(Letter.)Effective: 1997 Fall Quarter.

HYD245—Climate Change, Water and Society(4)Active

Lecture—4 hour(s).Class size limited to 25 students.Integration of climate science and hydrology with policy to understand hydroclimatology and its impact upon natural and human systems. Assignments: readings, take-home examination on climate and hydrologic science, paper that integrates course concepts into a research prospectus or review article.(Same course as ATM 245 and ECL 245.)(Letter.)Effective: 2015 Spring Quarter.

HYD252—Hillslope Geomorphology and Sediment Budgets(4)Active

Lecture—3 hour(s); Fieldwork—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):HYD 141 or GEL 035 or ECI 142; or Consent of Instructor.Exploration of theoretical and empirical foundations of sediment production on hillslopes using computer models and field experiments to promote an understanding of how watersheds evolve naturally and with human impacts.(Letter.)Effective: 2001 Spring Quarter.

Lecture—3 hour(s); Fieldwork—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):HYD 141 or GEL 035; or ECI 042 or Consent of Instructor.Survey of the processes and landforms associated with sediment deposition in the coastal zone. Application of geomorphic principles to coastal management issues.(Letter.)Effective: 2002 Spring Quarter.

HYD264—Modeling of Hydrologic Processes(3)Active

Lecture—3 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):HYD 141; STA 102; Or the equivalents.Techniques used to model the spatio-temporal structure of rainfall and runoff are introduced. Procedures studied include those based on stochastic point processes, chaos theory, fractal geometry, and fractional noises.(Letter.)Effective: 1997 Winter Quarter.

Seminar—1 hour(s).Prerequisite(s):Consent of Instructor. Graduate standing and background in Hydrologic Science.Seminars and critical review of problems, issues, and research in hydrologic sciences. Oral presentations of research. Topics will vary. May be repeated for credit.May be repeated for credit.(S/U grading only.)Effective: 1997 Winter Quarter.